Sink or Swim
by TC591
Summary: Read a Destiel fic & this came into my head. With the permission of the author of the original fic, here it is. Sam, Dean and Castiel had gone to the Novak's for Thanksgiving, they're leaving to go back to California & goodbyes are taking too long for Dean's liking. Set in the "Let It Be Me" AU. I do not own Supernatural, the characters or the AU. NO COPYRIGHT INTENDED. [Finished]


**I recently read "Let It Be Me" by Annabeth-Stark-of-Winterfell and afterwards a scene randomly popped into my head that I couldn't get rid of so, withe the permission of the afore mentioned author, this is me posting it. It would be a good idea to read "Let It Be Me" before reading this because it is a Destiel AU in which Dean is an auto-shop teacher and Castiel is a student forced to take his class, and this is inspired by the characters and events in it so it will make limited sense otherwise. Also, it's an awesome story that I read in three nights, before bed, I couldn't stop reading. So... Go. Shoo!**

* * *

Castiel, Sam and Dean stood outside of the Novak family home in Lawrence, Kansas saying their goodbyes to Castiel's family. They had visited for Thanksgiving and were having to head home because Sam and Castiel's classes started up again soon. Sam was also a little anxious to get back to his wife, Jess, who had missed the whole family affair due to an overload of studying and shifts at work. Chuck stood with his right arm around his wife listening to Dean tell the end of the story about the four's trip to Las Vegas.

"And then Sam punched him!" They all laughed, even Castiel as if it was the first time he had heard the story. "Sammy's got a little bit of a jealous streak."

Castiel looked at Dean with a cocked eyebrow, smiling. "Coming from you?"

Dean smiled and put his right arm around Castiel's shoulder, mirroring Chuck and Rebecca's stances - whether subconsciously or not, it gained the other Novak siblings to share a smile between them as they stood to Sam's left. "Ah, it's a Winchester thing, ain't that right, Sammy?" Sam just let out a grunt as they all looked at the taller Winchester, to Cas' right, looking at his phone with a lovesick and worried look. Jess had been under a lot of stress recently and Sam wished he could something, anything, to help her. He had refused to go along with his brother and his partner back to Kansas for the holidays but she had insisted and he wondered if perhaps some space would do her good so he had relented. Now though, as he read his texts from her, all he wanted was to get home and hold her until all her problems felt like nothing they couldn't handle together. Dean and Castiel shared a knowing look. "We'd better get back on the road before the rush."

Castiel nodded and Dean slowly let him go to walk to around to the driver's side of the car letting Castiel say goodbye to his family by himself. It had only been just over a year since the pair had moved out to California; Castiel had started at Stanford and Dean had used his inheritance to start up his own garage but however happy they all were, especially Dean being closer to Sam, Castiel missed his family. Oh, Dean certainly missed Bobby, Jo and Ellen who they were going to drop in on on their way out of town, but the Novaks were like a garrison, not fighting for anything except each other, a brotherhood... And sister.

"Cassie, we got you something." Lucifer stepped forward, from the middle of the siblings, and handed Castiel a piece of material. He smoothed it out in his hands and looked at it properly. It was a surgeons cap but it had things embroidered all around it; a bleeding heart, a caduceus and a bandage that went under the rim of the cap. It was another piece of fabric that had been sewn on to the hat to look like it had seeped through. But what Castiel noticed last and most was the wings on either side. They were white with gold flakes through the thread, they had a different texture than the rest of the thread, it was thicker, only slightly, but it meant that the wings were raised. Along one of the ties the name 'Novak' was sewn in black cursive.

"Kid!" Dean shouted leaning on the roof of his car looking to the group.

Castiel smiled at his cap and then looked up. "Thank you, Luke. All of you." Anna rubbed his arm and Rebecca fussed with his hair.

"For the angel in the family." Gabriel playfully punched Castiel's arm and smiled.

"Kid? I know you hear me. Get your ass in this car." Irritation rose a little in Dean's voice.

Castiel's family looked to Dean and then they looked back to Castiel a little worried. Michael leaned forward a little and whispered but his family could still hear him. "Are you comfortable with Dean calling you that after everything?"

"If you don't get your ass in this car I will pick you up and shove you in it myself." Dean sighed and raised his eyebrows.

Castiel smiled at Michael without turning around. "Oh, he's not talking to me."

They all turned to look at Sam as he looked up from his phone at Dean. "Why don't you bite me instead, Dean?" Castiel smiled and his family relaxed a little.

"Are you going to be like this all the way back because I will leave you at Bobby's? The quicker you squeeze your attitude in the door then the quicker we can get back to Jess, since she _obviously_ can't survive two days without you."

Castiel tried not to laugh but he did love the way Dean was with Sam. Ever since they set up shop in California Dean had relaxed into himself: he stopped worrying about Sam so much that their arguments were more brother banter than actual arguments. They bickered instead of full on ranting at each other and slamming the phone down. Castiel loved his accommodation and his classmates but when he was with Dean he was instantly home. And when it was the four of them Castiel felt like he belonged, really belonged. They were a family together and none of them would have changed the DVD marathons, the nights out and even the bickering.

Sam walked to the other side of the car and straight to the door behind front the passenger seat, because that was Castiel's seat now. "You can still bite me." He pulled it open less than gently and Dean gave him a look that Castiel couldn't help but laugh at.

"No thanks Sammy, I don't know where you've been." Sam gave him a mocking smile. Castiel laughed again which got Dean's attention and he turned to look. "The same goes for you, babe. Get your ass in this car before I pick you up and lovingly shove you in it." He smiled at Castiel trying not to show how much he loved seeing him laugh.

Castiel exhaled a laugh before catching Dean's face. "You wouldn't dare."

"Oh really?" Dean started walking towards Castiel and he began to take steps back as his family watched smiling at them. "Cas, did I ever tell you that I wanted to be a fireman?" Dean smiled deviously as he closed the gap between them and Sam laughed despite himself. Castiel began to protest but Dean was too quick as he grabbed Castiel's right hand and pulled it over his head before lifting Castiel with the rest of him.

Dean lightly slapped Castiel's bum, which was level with Dean's shoulder, just for good measure. "Dean!" Castiel started laughing as he looked at the ground from over Dean's right shoulder, catching sight of Dean's own bum was a bonus.

Dean turned around towards the passenger side of the car. "See you later, folks." The Novak family all said their collective goodbyes to the boys. "Oi, Sammy, what did I tell you? Get in the car or you're next." Castiel looked up at his family, red from embarrassment and laughing as Dean stopped to berate Sam. He wasn't just laughing he was smiling too because he wasn't just happy he was on cloud-nine. His own personal heaven. He waved his surgeons cap at his family and Sam rolled his eyes and scoffed before he waved to the Novak's and got in the car.

Dean turned so that he was facing the car door as Sam's closed. He let Castiel slide down him slowly, looking at each other as soon as they could, all the way to the ground. "I love you." Castiel whispered in his rough voice that went straight to Dean's jeans, with no reason to except that it came out that way, as his arms rested on Dean's shoulders. Dean licked his lips quickly, kissed Castiel and pushed him against the car just a little as the pair forgot they were being watched. The kiss was firm but far too passionate for family viewing - literally. Gabriel wolf-whistled and Anna 'aww'ed but Michael and Lucifer protested, as the oldest brother's do, and the pair broke apart to look suddenly looking very guilty.

"Save that for later, son." Chuck smiled at Dean. Castiel felt a little flutter knowing that Dean and Sam had a whole other family standing there.

Dean cleared his throat. "Right, yeah." He quickly kissed Castiel's cheek before walking around the hood of the car and raising his left hand apologetically. "Sorry, Novaks."

Castiel turned and put his hand on the door handle watching as Dean reached the driver's side of the car with his head down. He stopped, still looking at the floor and pouted a little more than usual, as if something was troubling him. "What's wrong, Dean?" Castiel's smile began to fade and the Novak's looked to Dean.

Dean looked up to Chuck. "You called me 'son'." Everyone looked to Castiel's father to see his smile begin to fade as well. "You always call me 'son' now."

Chuck looked from Dean to Castiel and then back suddenly thinking about Dean's father, John, and all of the trouble that the young mechanic went through. "I didn't mean to offend y-"

Dean cut him off. "No, no..." a smile twitched on his face. "I like it." Everyone smiled a little as they though that was the end of it but Dean's smile suddenly fell to serious, no pout, just tense eyebrows. "Do you mean it?"

Chuck looked surprised. "Of course I do, I consider you one of mine. You and your brother." Dean looked to Rebecca who nodded and a little tension, just a little, released on his forehead.

"Dean, what's wrong?" Castiel looked over the car at Dean while he knocked on Sam's window with his left hand and gestured without looking.

Dean looked at Castiel as Sam's door opened. "What's up?" Sam stepped out of the car, without his phone, looked at Castiel and saw his concern, along with everyone else's and looked to Dean.

"Nothing, Sammy." Dean looked over the car to Castiel's siblings. "You guys, uh, you like me, right? Think I'm good enough for your brother?" They all slowly murmured and nodded as everyone looked on wondering what the hell had gotten into Dean. "And you Sammy, you think Cas is good enough for me?"

"Better." Sam smiled at Dean, the only person standing there who had figured out what was happening.

Dean laughed looking at Sam who nodded reassuringly. "Yeah." Dean said, as if answering a question never voiced between them. "Jess won't mind?" Sam shook his head.

Cas looked between them. "Alright, _what _is going on?" Cas said, his nerves and concern turning to irritation as he was left out. He glanced to Sam as he slowly took the cap from the teenager's hand before he turned to watch Dean again.

Dean walked around the front of the car again, towards Castiel. "Oh Cas... I can't do this any more." He stopped in front of Cas, who turned to face him, so that they were stood in the same spots that they had been after the kiss.

Castiel's face drained. "What?"

"No!" Dean rushed to get the word out as he realised what Castiel though he meant. "No, come on?" He laughed a little as he wondered how Castiel could even think that. "I can't keep this up any more. I've been planning this for ages and..." He looked around. "This wasn't exactly how I imagined it but here, in front of your-" He stopped himself and his smiled widened a little. "_Our _family seems like the perfect time."

Dean looked down at the ground as he took a step backwards then looked back up. "Castiel James Novak..." he pulled his trousers up a little before lowering himself onto his left knee, Castiel watched him, his brain working a second behind when his sister gasped and Lucifer muttered an 'oh my God'. Castiel looked up to his family to see them all smiling, clearly a step ahead of him. "Oi!" Castiel snapped his head back to Dean as he spoke, he was leaning his right forearm on his knee and gesturing to himself with his left hand. "I'm proposing here, you're supposed to pay attention to the lead guitarist when it's his solo?"

Castiel would have heard Sam let out a little laugh if he had heard anything after 'proposing'. His eyes widened and Dean nodded smiling at how he was able to take his partner by surprise. "Yeah. So... Castiel James Novak, will you marry me?" He scratch behind his left ear looking to the family a little embarrassed. "I don't actually have the ring, it's in California. Like I said, I didn't plan to do it this way..." He shrugged a little as Chuck laughed. They all looked to Castiel who was still looking at Dean silent and with wide eyes. Then Dean suddenly looked worried. "Cas? You don't have to say-"

Castiel cut him off trying not to smile. "See, now this is awkward 'cause I actually have a date tonight." His smile finally broke looking at the worry leave Dean's face and happiness settle again.

"Will you just put me out of my misery before my knees lock like this, I'm not getting any younger."

Castiel laughed. "Of course I'll marry you." They looked when Castiel's siblings cheered and Chuck clapped, his arm still around his wife and she blinked a little as his hands came together a few times just in front of her chest. Castiel put his right hand out to take Dean's and pulled him to standing.

Dean didn't break eye contact with his fiancee. "Novaks, you may want to avert your eyes." Sam laughed as Chuck looked at the ground when Dean kissed Castiel and pushed him right up against the car, with every knowledge that they were being watched and not caring. Castiel's siblings applauded and the pair couldn't stop themselves smiling through their kiss. Dean cupped Castiel's jaw in his left hand and let his right lean on the bit of the car roof just above the door window to remind himself of where they were. Castiel's right hand lightly drifted up Dean's upper arm towards his wrist where he just tickled Dean's hand while his left came up to rest over Dean's chest - his heart. Castiel could feel his heartbeat, it was elevated and that just made Castiel smile more.

They eventually pulled apart and when Dean's left hand fell to his side Castiel's right joined it. Sam clapped Dean's shoulder and Dean turned to hug his brother. Castiel walked to embrace his mother who had stepped forward, when they broke apart Castiel walked to his brothers and they began to crush him in a group hug. Dean laughed as he looked over Rebecca's shoulder at them and as they pulled apart Rebecca turned to look before smiling wider. Castiel had a quick, jiggly hug from Anna before he turned into a hug from his father when there was a noise and they broke apart to see Dean being crushed in the same way Castiel had been. As Dean hugged his old classmate, Anna, Castiel received a hug from Sam.

"I'm happy for you, Cas."

"Thanks, Sam." Castiel smiled.

Chuck spoke and they all turned to look, Dean still talking to Anna. "Dean son, welcome, _properly,_ to the family." He put his hand out for Dean to shake. When Dean reached for it Chuck pulled it over his head and lifted Dean over his shoulder as Castiel's mouth fell open. "I never wanted to be a fireman but I had five kids. They all went through the Novak rite of passage into adulthood and if you want to be a part of the Novak family, officially, then you do too." He turned around and started to walk towards the far end of the land. "And what is the rite of passage, kids?"

They all chorused, suddenly very excited... Except Castiel who just whispered along looking at Dean bob in front of him as his father made his way to the back of his land and they followed. "SINK OR SWIM!" Anna jumped a little clapping and Michael was shaking his head laughing.

"What's that? That sounds like water. Cas, what's that?" Dean suddenly panicked.

"Where's your phone?" Castiel followed along behind with Sam next to him, just as confused as Dean.

"With yours in the car. Why?" Chuck sped up and Dean panicked. "Cas?"

"What does that mean, Cas?" Sam looked to him as they tried to keep up.

"He's going to throw him in the creek." Sam's eyes widened as they reached a bridge.

"I hear water, why do I hear water? Oh god, that's water." Dean looked down the creek as Chuck walked onto the bridge and turned. "Now Chuck, Dad, come on we can talk about this."

"Do you love my son, Dean?"

Dean looked to his right, over Chuck's head, at Castiel. "Yes, sir."

"Then shut up, take the compliment and tuck your chin in." He shifted Dean and the mechanic tucked his head and screwed his eyes shut as Chuck threw him over. The group ran to the edge and watched as Dean disappeared under the water, after a few seconds he resurfaced drawing in a deep breath as water flicked from his hair. Castiel smiled as everyone cheered, Dean wiped his eyes and immediately looked at Castiel as he wiped his hair smiling back.

Dean treaded water, still looking at Castiel. "I love you!" He shouted and threw his head back. "Whoo!" His voice echoed through the trees.

Chuck turned to Castiel and picked him up. "Whoa, Dad!" Chuck turned and walked along the bridge a little.

"Castiel, do you love my son?" Chuck looked over the bridge and Dean looked up trying to swim backwards out of the way.

"Yes."

"Then-"

"Shut up and tuck, I know." Castiel tucked his chin and closed his eyes as Chuck moved him and threw him over the bridge for the second time in Castiel's life."

Castiel hit the water and once he stilled he pushed up. When he resurfaced he spluttered. Lucifer looked over. "Every time."

Dean swam to him and wiped his face before Castiel opened his eyes to look at him. "I guess we might hit the rush now, babe."

Castiel began to tread water looking back at him smiling. "I suppose I will have to cancel my date."

The pair looked up when they heard laughing, they saw Anna, Michael, Lucifer, Gabriel and Rebecca watching something that the pair couldn't see to the side slightly before they heard Chuck shout. "Look out below!" Dean pulled Castiel to the side as quick as he could before Sam came hurtling towards the water.

When he breached the surface of the water and pushed his hair back Anna and Gabriel were suddenly quiet staring until Michael hit them both on the head. "He's practically your brother-in-law."

"Not really." Lucifer added smirking at his twin's face. "What? He's married anyway." He laughed as they looked back over the bridge at the figures in the water cheering Sam.

Dean and Castiel looked to Sam before the three of them laughed and looked up at their family.


End file.
